Christmas - Chapter One

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by Michael C. Garrett

The Logos

In Chapter 1 of the Book of John it says, verse 1 ─ “In the beginning was the Word, …” Now, that word – the word “Word” – in Greek is Logos. And it means, “the Spokesman.” This is describing a member of the family of God who has always been the member of the family of God, which directly communicated with human beings. This is the member of the family of God that reached into the moist clay of ancient Palestine and molded and shaped a human form and brought it to life, and called him Adam.

This is the same being that later on took a part of Adam’s ribs – and using that as a basic substrate – created another human being, which He called Eve.

This is the being who appeared to Abraham, as the two angels and He showed up at Abraham’s camp, as they eventually ended up going into Sodom and Gomorrah.

This is the being who showed Himself to Moses.

This is the being, who after His human life and death and resurrection, appeared to the Apostle Paul, and taught him the Word of God, the Truth of God, and the Plan of God.

This is the Spokesman.

This is the One we read about in the New Testament. This is the One we read about in biblical prophecies of the Old Testament. The Logos.

And it says, “ … and the Word was with God, …” And this word God here is Theos, meaning God the Father, or God Almighty. “ … and the Word was God.” The Spokesman was a member of the family of God.

And it says, verse 2 ─ “He was in the beginning with God.” Meaning, God the Father – Theos. Long before there was any human beings, any type of any kind of life upon the earth, long before an earth even existed, or a sun and a solar system even existed, or the massive planetary stars, meteors, comets, asteroids – and everything else out there that is part of the universe! Long before any of this existed, the One we now call Jesus Christ, and the One we now refer to as God the Father or God Almighty – They existed long before any of this.

Now, sometimes people ask the question. And sometimes it is a legitimate question. And sometimes I think it is somebody trying to be a smart aleck. They’ll ask, “Well, you talk about God. God created this and God creating that. Well, who created God!?” Or, “Where did God come from!?”

And friends, we can’t explain that part of the story. It’s beyond our ability to know. I’ll tell you, I don’t know how a television works. I mean, think about it. I remember as a small child, we got a television set at the home where I lived. And it really was a magical piece of equipment! I don’t know how radio signals are created and modified and sent over the airwaves, and a little receiver changes those invisible wavelengths of energy changing it into a voice that I can hear, or music that I can hear! I don’t know how that happens! I do know that it does. But I cannot begin to explain to you how that happens. And, I have no idea how they transmit from one location to your television set, and it shows up on your screen – how do they do that!? I know it works. I know I can turn on my clicker, I know the TV set turns on. And, I get to change the channel. But I don’t even know how the remote control controls my TV set! But I know that it exists. And that is what we’re getting to. We cannot tell you all the technicalities on where God came from before He created the universe, and life, and the earth. Our minds are limited. We are human beings. We are not at the present time a godly being.

At some time, we hope that God graciously imparts to us the gift of eternal life. And that, when that time comes, we will then have the mind power of a member of the family of God, and now – at that point – we will be able to understand these great, awesome, and unfathomable ideas. At the present time, we’re walking around on a pogo stick, and God is traveling along in a supersonic jet! That’s how far we are apart. When it talks about the quality of our mental acuity. We, as human beings, are not on His level – yet. Every day we are trying to get a little closer. But we are still stuck in this human flesh, with this human life, this human heart, and lungs. And so, we are rather limited.

I’ve often thought, what do my kitty cats think when I pick up this little box – this little remote control – and the TV set turns on! I imagine in their kitty brains they go, “My daddy is the smartest daddy on the face of the earth!” He can hit a button and things change. He hits a button on the wall and the lights turn on! Now, think about all the things that would be totally impossible for a cat to understand. Now, I love my kitty cats, they are dear and precious, sweet, charming, and loving – and we’re a family. But I don’t think my kitty cats can figure out how to turn my computer on and read to me my email. It’s beyond their capability. They’re a feline, and I’m a human. God is so much farther advanced than we are.

So, who made God!? It’s a logical question that even a four-year-old can come up with. Yet, even a seventy-year-old mind can’t come up with the mechanics of it all. Yet, we know that God exists.

One of the ways that we know that God exists is because we have seen Him perform miracles in front of our eyes! We have seen Him do things that could not be understood by any other means. Other than the hand of an Almighty power graciously bestowing love upon us and the people around us. So, we do not have any doubts about God’s existence. Yet, we have never actually seen Him. We have never actually touched Him. We have not smelled Him. We have never heard His voice. Yet, we know He exists.

From the living promises of the word of God, someday we will see Him, we will hear Him, and we will embrace Him. We look forward to being given a hug by Jesus Christ and to returning that embrace. Imagine receiving an embrace and returning an embrace from Jesus Christ – Lord, Master, and Savior! Lord of lords and King of kings! That is what we are hoping for someday.

And it says, verse 3 ─ “All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.”

This being – the Logos – is the Creator God. Verse 4 ─ “In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. 5) And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.”

The people who were alive during this time – nearly two thousand years ago – they did not comprehend what they had. In fact, some of the religious types were so offended and challenged by Him. The people could have easily left their temple, their doctrines, and their routines, and started following Jesus. But He was a threat to their financial survival, their prestige, and their power. And they wanted to kill Him. And eventually, they got their wish.

No, the darkness did not comprehend who Jesus was.

And it’s sad to say, that in the world today which we live here at Christmas time, the world still – by in large – does not really comprehend the real Jesus Christ and His true teachings! Or His living words concerning the present, the past, and the future. They don’t understand. Darkness still does not properly comprehend Jesus Christ.

Verse 6 ─ “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.” Speaking of John the Baptist, who was actually a relative of Jesus. A cousin.

Verse 7 ─ “This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe. 8) He [John the Baptist] was not that Light, …”

Yet, there is a certain huge Protestant religious group that calls themselves Baptists, after John the Baptist. Do you see the flaw in that thinking!?

Verse 9 ─ “That was the true Light …”

Jesus Christ, the true Light. An extension of God being shared with human beings.

“ … which gives light to every man coming into the world. 10) He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, …”

There are some religious people who ─ because they do not understand the Bible; certainly not understanding the first chapter of John ─ believe Jesus never existed until the moment He was born as a human baby back nearly two thousand years ago. And what they do not understand is Jesus Christ is the One who created Adam and Eve ─ as we mentioned earlier. He was the One who created the Earth, the sun, the planets, and the solar system. He is the One who created what we call the Milky Way galaxy. He is the One who created billions and billions of other galaxies ─ strung out as far as the mind can imagine! The world and all creation were made by Him.

“ … and the world did not know Him.”

Verse 11 ─ “He came to His own [meaning the Jewish people], …”

Yes, Jesus Christ was of Jewish descent.

“ … and His own did not receive Him.”

In fact, His own people wanted to kill Him! “Crucify Him! Crucify Him! Crucify Him!” a huge mob screamed!

Verse 12 ─ “But as many as receive Him, to them He gave the right to become [the sons and the daughters] of God, …”

If you truly believe in the words and in the promises of Jesus Christ, and follow His biblical prescription ─ we have before us an opportunity to inherit eternal life when this same Jesus Christ returns to the earth a second time! Sadly, most people do not understand this. A lot of so-called Christians think that they’re going to flit off to heaven when they die. No, they are not. Many people think that their young son or daughter who died way too early ─ that they’re up in heaven waiting for them. No, they are not. Many people think that their parents or grandparents who died are in heaven ─ just waiting for them to show up. No, they are not. Anyone who has ever lived and died they are now asleep. Completely unaware of anything. They have no pain. They have no euphoria. They have no awareness of the passage of time. They are just asleep. That is what dead is ─ according to the Bible.

But God’s living word also says that if your name is written in the Book of Life ─ the Lamb’s Book of Life ─ that at the blowing of the seventh trump, the last trump, with the return of Jesus Christ, you will be resurrected. Whether you’re dead in the grave or alive you will be resurrected and gather together with Jesus Christ. And this mass of individuals will end up on the Mount of Olives. And most importantly, the feet of Jesus Christ once again will walk on the Mount of Olives!

Verse 13 ─ “who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

By God’s pronouncement! By His creating this system in which He is populating the family of God with former human beings! By the promises which God has made and given to us in His Book. We have that opportunity.

Verse 14 ─ “And the Word [the Logos – the One we now call Jesus Christ] became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” And Spirit and perfection.

That word dwelt in the original Greek is skēnoō, meaning “to live, dwell; to spread a tent.” So, for a period of time, the Creator God ─ Jesus Christ ─ tabernacled with human beings.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

Just about everybody has heard the so-called story of Christmas. About the birth of Jesus Christ. Just about everybody has heard of Jesus Christ being born in a manger. And just about everybody has heard about the shepherds. Most are aware of this great light in the sky, what they call a star. Which was not an actual star. It was not the planets Jupiter and Saturn aligned. It was an angelic being that was guiding the ancient wise men of the Orient to see the young Christ child. There are also a number of Christmas songs that talk about the shepherds.

Friends, Jerusalem stands on hills at an elevation of 2,575 feet. 1 Bethlehem, which is where Jesus was actually born ─ is about 5 miles south of Jerusalem. In comparison, Tel Aviv, in modern-day Israel ─ in the same location as ancient Jaffa ─ is only roughly 16 ft. Even in Israel today, if you have sheep in the summer, spring, and fall, you might have them up in the mountains of Jerusalem. Where it is cooler. But when late fall and early winter comes it gets so cold up in the higher elevations, you take your sheep, and herd them down into the lowlands, where it is more temperate. Much warmer and safer for the sheep.

If it had been December 25th, the shepherds would not have been out in the fields tending their sheep. If it were actually what this world calls December 25th, the shepherds would have taken the sheep ─ many weeks earlier ─ down into the lowlands. The shepherds were still in the field because it was still mild weather in late September. There are numerous biblical indications that point out that Jesus Christ was not born on or anywhere near December 25th.

Jesus Christ died in spring. What the Bible calls Passover. And we can take you back to the Book of Daniel chapter 9 and show you that Jesus Christ was to have a seven-year public ministry. But, in His first appearance on the earth, His public ministry only lasted for 3 ½ years. What is interesting is that when Jesus Christ returns He is going to have another 3 ½ year period where He begins to whip the nations into shape. They are going to begin doing things the Way He wants them done. So, going back in time ─ His public ministry began in the fall of the year. And so, Jesus Christ likely followed the tradition that a priest ─ in the Levitical priesthood ─ could not become a priest until he was thirty years old. This means that Jesus Christ began His public ministry in the fall. 3 ½ years before His death. Not in the winter. But in the fall.

So, if you place all these biblical understandings together, it becomes plain that Jesus Christ was not born on or anywhere near December 25th.

In all likelihood, Jesus Christ was born on the first day of the Feast of Tabernacles. You want to celebrate Christmas properly!? Then celebrate the Holy Days of God as expressed and enumerated in the Bible. And then you will actually be celebrating the birthday of Jesus.

And if you keep the Passover, you actually will be keeping, commemorating, the human death of Jesus Christ.

And if you keep the Days of Unleavened Bread you actually will be keeping the anniversary of His resurrection and Life.

However, this world around us and its traditions, which have been passed on down thousands of years, obsess about the rebirth of the sun. On the 21st of December, we have what they call the winter solstice. Which is the shortest daylight period of time with the sun lower on the horizon.

Ancient people literally worshiped the sun. They came to realize that the sun was the source of all life. And they are correct ─ in a physical sense. If there is no sun there are no plants. There would be no animals, they wouldn’t have anything to eat. And all life would be gone. No heat. No light. No anything. We would just be a giant ice cube. And you and I would not exist. 

But even though the winter solstice is on what we call the 21st of December, it took them a few days to realize that the sun was coming back ─ it was being reborn, “unconquered” (dies solis invicti nati).

It was a cause for celebration in their ancient pagan societies.

And December 25th, just about the time that the rebirth of the sun can be noticed, has been celebrated for millennia! Long before the human birth of Jesus Christ. Yet, people have no idea where Christmas came from. It was simply done by the ancient Romans to take a holiday for the people ─ they loved celebrating the rebirth of the sun. They called it Saturnalia. Festival and holiday in honor of their god Saturn. It was held on the 17th of December of the Julian calendar and later expanded with festivities through to the 23rd of December. A week-long sex orgy celebration. Their streets were infected with a Mardi Gras-type madness.

So, the people have been celebrating Saturnalia for millennia! It has been passed down from one generation to the next. By the fourth century A.D., the officials of the Roman era settled on celebrating Christmas on December 25th, which allowed them to incorporate the holiday with Saturnalia and other popular midwinter traditions. They slapped the name Jesus onto the holiday and therefore called it “Christian.”

This is where Christmas came from. But, we prefer calling it X-Mas. Many people over the years have become very offended, saying, “We need to put Christ back into Christmas.” But, we say ─ put the X back in there!

Now, it is true that December 25th is a national holiday. It’s not just a religious holiday, it’s actually a secular holiday. □

To be continued.

Sources:

1) Gordon, Buzzy , Wasserstein, Bernard , Perowne, Stewart Henry , Dumper, Michael and Prawer, Joshua. "Jerusalem". Encyclopedia Britannica, 24 Apr. 2023, htps://www.britannica.com/place/Jerusalem. Accessed 12 May 2023.